Device for successively discharging objects from holders

ABSTRACT

A control mechanism for discharging holders moving the one after the other at a number of aligned discharge locations, said control mechanism containing a control cylinder having a number of stopping surfaces each of which co-operates with a latch, such that deactivating a latch by means of a holder makes the cylinder rotate over a predetermined angle for positioning corresponding discharge abutments in the path of the discharge catch of a holder.

United States Patent [1 1 Mosterd 1 1 July 31,1973

1 1 DEVICE FOR SUCCESSIVELY DISCHARGING OBJECTS FROM HOLDERS [76] Inventor: Jacob H. Mosterd, Stationsweg 117,

at Barneveld, Netherlands [22] Filed: June 25, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 156,836

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 1, 1970 Netherlands 7009762 [52] US. Cl 214/60, 192/33, 198/179 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 47/46 [58] Field of Search 214/60; 198/179 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,751,091 6/1956 Freeman 214/60 X 3,308,928 3/1967 Mosterd [98/179 Primary Examiner-Robert G. Sheridan Attorney-Roberts B. Larson, Marvin Petry et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A control mechanism for discharging holders moving the one after the other at a number of aligned discharge locations, said control mechanism containing a control cylinder having a number of stopping surfaces each of which co-operates with a latch, such that deactivating a latch by means of a holder makes the cylinder rotate over a predetermined angle for positioning corresponding discharge abutments in the path of the discharge catch of a holder.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJUL 31 ms SHEET 1 OF 4 INVENTOR JACOB H. MOSTERD ATTORNEYS PAIENIuJuL31 I975 SHEET 2 BF 4 INVENTOR JACOB H. MOSTERD 37l r' $'ad5 ATTORNEYS PATENIED JUL3 I I975 3 749 260 SHEU 3 OF 4 INVENTOR JACOB H. MOSTERD ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJUL31 3.749.260

SHEEI h 0F 4 JACOB H. MOSTERD ATTORNEYS 1 DEVICE FOR SUCCESSIVELY DiSCI-IARGING OBJECTS FROM HOLDERS The invention relates to a device for successively discharging holders moving after each other along a predetermined path, a first holder discharging at a=first discharge location, a second holder at the discharge location foregoing said first discharge location, seen in the direction of movement of the holders and soon until a holder discharge at the last discharge location, said device being provided with a rotatably mountedcontrol cylinder, bearing at each discharge location a discharge abutment, each of said discharge abutments having a different angular position on the control cylinder in the path of discharge catches mounted to the holders and further means being provided, which can co.-operate with a holder to have the control cylinder carry out a limited rotary movement. With a known construction of this type a part of the holder, which contacts the control cylinder, mustmove itself with respect to the holder and has to make the control cylinder rotate somewhat. This oftenleads to the possibility of an inexact working. Moreover, it is necessary with this construction that an index member is present to fix the control cylinder in a number of predetermined positions. This latter, however, again leads to an increased friction, by which the difficulties with the double activity, namely making the holder discharge and making the control cylinder rotate, only because a discharge catch of the holder hits the control cylinder, are further increased.

in another known machine said difficulty indeed has been removed, but therewith use has been made of an electromagnetic energizing device. Practice has taught that electromagnetic or electronic control means in mechanical machines can bring disadvantages with them. A first disadvantage originatesbecause the machine always must show the correct working,'also when it is switched off at an arbitrary moment of a work cycle, so that in practice an additional safety device often is indispensable. A second disadvantage is, that defects in electric circuits appear less clearly and less directly than in mechanical systems. Moreover, for maintaining a machine having a partially electromagnetic working more specialized maintenance staff and more specialized test apparatus are requiredthan for pure mechanical systems. Finally electromagnetic systems in practice have proved not to be as reliable as pure mechanical systems.

Accordingly the invention aims at providing a solution, with which the indicated difficulties are obviated in a pure mechanical way. Moreover, the invention aims at providing a device of this type, which, as experience has shown, also works'very reliable with longer test periods, irrespective of the time at which the machine is switched on or off.

The above mentioned aims are attained according to the invention in that the control cylinder is mechanically biassed in a predetermined direction of rotation and for each discharge station is provided with a stopping surface, which stopping surfaces can co-operate with a latch, said latches being adapted to co-operate with a holder that passes to remove the eo-operation with the relative stopping surface, so that the control cylinder that is mechanically biassed can carry out a rotary movement. it has appeared that in this way a very 2 reliable working is obtained, allowing high working speeds of the machine.

The main inventive idea furthermore lends itself to see to it in a very simple way, that a holder itself brings the discharge abutment, which later on will cause the holder to discharge, into the path of its latch.

This is, when applying the invention, obtained in a very simple way because the stopping surfaces and the discharge abutments have been positioned on the control cylinder in such a way, that a latch rendered inoperative by a holder allows the control cylinder to rotate on till a discharge abutment positioned in the direction of movement of the holders beyond the relative latch comes into a position, in which it can co-operate with i a discharge catch of the holder to allow the holder to discharge. A further advantage of this feature is, that the time passing between having the control cylinder rotate and having the discharge catch of the holder hit by the discharge abutment of the control cylinder is fixed and is independent on the mutual distance between the holders.

A simple, and as practice has shown, reliable realization'of' the mechanical bias of the control member consists in that for this purpose use is made of a weight.

After the control cylinder has been placed'into the position in which a holder can discharge at the last discharge location it is necessary that the control cylinder is returned to the starting position. Of course it is possible that the end position of the control cylinder corresponds with the starting position, but in that instance a flexible drive, such as either a slip coupling, or a rotary magnet or suchlike is necessary for the mechanical bias of the control member. When applying a simple bias, such as by means of either a weight, or a spring returning is necessary.

According to a further elaboration of the invention this is obtained in a simple and reliable way in that the control cylinder has an activating member, which is adapted to act upon a locking mechanism to unlock the latter, in the position of the control member in which a holder can be discharged at the last discharge location, which locking mechanism releases a return mechanism for the control cylinder to bring the latter into the position, in which it can make a holder discharge at the first discharge location. it may be desired, that the control cylinder is fed back into the starting position only when a new container arrives. This can, when applying the above described elaboration of the invention, be obtained in that the locking mechanism has an unlocking control member and can take two different locking positions, in the first position of which the unlocking control member lies outside the path of the holders and in the second position of which the unlocking control member lies in the path of the holders, the activating member of the control cylinder'bringing the locking mechanism in the second position when the control cylinder is in the position in which the last discharge abutment is in the path of the discharge catches for the holders and unlocks the locking mechanism, when the unlocking control member is operated by a holder.

A simple drive of the return mechanism consists of a one revolution clutch. This is a clutch, which, after having been rendered operative, carries out one single revolution.

it has appeared, that for a working that is reliable in the long run, which comes at the right time in the whole of the machine and is not subjected to wear, a clutch, which is practically frictionless when not being coupled in, is of great importance for a good functioning of such a machine. Experience has shown that, when applying the invention, a clutch with a fixed stroke, preferably a one revolution clutch, provided with a rotatably mounted input member, which is adapted to be permanently driven and has been coupled with a toothed wheel, in which a pawl can grip, which is mounted on an output member which has been mounted rotatably co-axially with respect to the said toothed wheel, can be carried out according to a further elaboration of the invention in such a way, that a third member is present, which has been rotatably mounted co-axially with the said input and output members, said third member being coupled with the output member in the direction of rotation by a spring means, a guide mounted on said third member releasing the pawl to unlock when the third member lags behind contrary to the force of the spring means, the said third member bearing a retaining abutment. Such a clutch can be completely frictionless when being in the rest position, come into operation very easily, when a retaining latch, retaining it, is lifted, and then carry out one fixed stroke, preferably one revolution, after which it arrives automatically at the completely frictionless free wheel position, without rattling or like occurring. Particulars of said coupling will be further discussed with reference to the description which is given now of an embodiment of the invention.

IN THE DRAWING SHOWS:

FIG. 1 schematically a view of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 a section along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 a section along the line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 a view seen in the direction of the arrows IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 a view, partially sectionally, seen in the direction of the arrows V-V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 a detail of FIG. 5 in another position of the control cylinder;

FIG. 7 a view of a coupling which advantageously can be applied to the device according to FIG. 1, in which parts have been broken away; and

FIG. 8 a section along the line VIII--VIII of FIG. 7.

In FIG. 1 by l and 2 rails have been indicated for guiding rolls of holders (not shown), which pass the device according to FIG. 1 between rails 1 and 2 from the right to the left. The holders themselves do not form part of the invention. They only must meet the requirement that they have a guiding member to be guided along rails l and 2 and a discharge catch for making the holder discharge. With a holder in this specification each mechanism is understood, which can bear and convey one or more objects so that e.g., a gripper, which can retain an object, also falls under the understanding holder".

A number of latches 4,,4 ,4 ,4,,4,, and 4,, have been mounted on a stationary shaft 3, which latches each can swing about the shaft 3 and each consist of an arm 5, a sleeve 6 surrounding the shaft 3 and a control wheel 7. Under the influence of gravity the latches 4 tend to swing counter clockwise in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the control cylinder 8, which has fixedly been connected on the shaft 9 a number of notches 10 are present which each have a stopping surface II in the shape of a substantially radial plane. At the location of each of the latches 4 one similar stopping surface 11 is present, the stopping surfaces 11 having been angularly displaced over an always the same angle with respect to each other.

On the cylinder 8 furthermore discharge abutments l2,,l2,,,12;,,12.,,12, and 12 are present, which have been mounted with the same mutual angle distances on this cylinder 8. At the right side a cord 13 has been wrapped around the control cylinder 8, on which cord a weight 14 hangs. In the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 latch 4 co-operates by means of its arm 5 with the relative stopping surface 11 of roll 8 to block said roll against the rotational working exerted thereon by the weight 14 and cord 13. The latches are executed such, that they, when a holder passes along rails 1,2, during a short period of time are swung clock wise by said holder, so that their arm 5 is freed from the stopping surface 1] and the control cylinder 8 can rotate furtheron till a next latch 4 co-operates with the stopping surface 11 belonging thereto to block the control cylinder again in a predetermined angle position.

Each holder has a discharge catch, moving in a path, in which a discharge abutment 12 can be present, namely the path, in which in FIG. 3 discharge abutment 12 is present. The successive tilting of latches 4 by the holder has no consequences until that latch is tilted which really is operative and co-operates with a relative stopping surface 11. In the starting position of the device this consequently is latch 4,. Tilting said latch causes control cylinder 8 under the influence of the weight to rotate, until latch 4 starts co-operating with the stopping surface 11 belonging to it. The holder, effecting said rotary movement of the control cylinder arrives at the discharge abutment l2 only when said rotary movement is finished and is caused to discharge by this.

After latch 4,, has been tilted and owing thereto discharge abutment 12,, is brought into the position in which it can co-operate with a discharge catch of a holder, curve disc 15, which has fixedly been mounted with control cylinder 8, is brought into the position indicated in FIG. 6. In disc 5 a control slot 16 is present, the first portion of which is concentrically with the axis of roll 8, but the last portion has a larger radius. In said slot a pin 17 of an angle lever 18, which at 19 has been pivotably mounted, runs. At the end of the angle lever 18 a rod 20 has rotatably been mounted, which at its upperside bears a two-armed lever 21, with at the left side a roll 22 serving as unlocking abutment in a way which has still to be described and at the other side a pivot connection with a locking hook 24, which is rotatably mounted at 23.

Roll 22 takes in the position of FIG. 5 such a height position that it is not touched by a passing holder. If, however, the control cylinder arrives at the last position, indicated in FIG. 6, angle lever 18 is tilted by the end portion 25 of the slot 16 to the position shown in FIG. 6, with which rod 20 moves downwardly and consequently abutment roll 22 takes a lower position. Now the abutment roll protrudes into the path of the holdare. A next holder now will cause said roll in FIG. 6 to move from the left to the right, by which locking hook 24 swings clockwise and the hook portion 26 of it releases hook 27. This hook 27 now falls down and moves retaining latch 28 by means of a protruding portion 30, owing to which said retaining latch rotates about its pivot mounting 29. By this retaining latch 28 releases retaining abutment 31 of clutch 32.

Clutch 32 has more in detail been shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The clutch has a permanently driven sprocket wheel 33, which is freely rotatable on a bearing 34 and is fixedly connected with a toothed wheel 35. Bearing 34 is supported by a shaft 36. An output member 37 has been connected non-rotatably with said shaft 36. Furthermore a housing 39 has by means of bearing 38 been mounted freely rotatable on shaft 36. As appears more clearly from FIG. 7 a telescope spring 40 has at the one side been mounted to the housing 39 by means of a pivot connection 41 andat the other side to a connecting member 42, forming part of member 37, thus the output member of the coupling. Owing to the action of telescope spring 40 a protruding cam 43 of the output member 37 is pressed against pin 44 of housing 39.

Member 37 is furthermore provided with a pivot connection 45 on which a pawl 46 can rotate. Said pawl has a hook 47, which can engage (vide FIG. 7) teeth 48 of the toothed wheel 35. Furthermore, a pin 49 is fixedly connected with the housing 39, said pin in the position shown in FIG. 7 engaging the pawl with its hook 47 with teeth 48 of toothed wheel 35. A further pin 50 which is also fixedly connected with the housing 39, serves for making the pawl unlock. When pawl 46 namely contacts pin 50 with its stop plane 51, it is tilted about the center of rotation 45. Furthermore a recoil preventor 52 co-operates with shaft 36, which recoil preventor 52 can be pushed upwardly by a cam 53 having a gradually increasing radius and a radial surface 54, that prevents shaft 36 from rotating backwardly (vide also FIG. 4).

The working of the described device is the following.

In FIG. 7 the position has been shown, in which the clutch transmits power. In this position telescope spring 40 is retracted and hook 47 of pawl 46 engages teeth 48, and the hook is retained in this position by pin 49. Said position is stable, because housing 39 is freely rotatable and consequently no force can be exerted to the pawl, by telescope spring 40. When the housing 39 is brought to a standstill because (vide FIG. 5) retaining abutment 31 runs on the retaining latch 28, said housing lags behind with the rotation of the toothed wheel 35, by which the pawl is released from pin 49 and finally its stop plane 51 contacts pin 50. Then pawl 46 tilts about the center of rotation 45 so that the connection between the teeth 48 and pawl hook 47 is removed. At this moment recoil preventor 52 (vide FIG. 8) falls behind recess 54 and prevents member 37 from turning back. By this said member 37 cannot rotate counter clockwise. The housing is prevented from rotating clockwise by retaining abutment 31, so that the free wheel position of the pawl with respect to the toothed wheel 35 is stable. This lasts till retaining latch 28 is tilted, upon which the housing under the influence of telescope spring 40 can rotate somewhat with respect to the toothed wheel 35, owing to which the pawl moves to the left with respect to the housing as seen in FIG. 7 and again engages with its guide plane pin 49, so that hook 47 engages the toothed wheel 35.

When making a revolution the shaft 36 the cam 55 mounted thereon (FIGS. 1 and 5) co-operates with a follower roll 56 of the hook 27 for lifting said hook, by which retaining latch 28 is returned in the position shown in FIG. 5. Cam 55 (FIG. 5) secs together with follower roll 56 to it, that the book 27 has been moved upward in good time to grip behind book 26. As appears from FIGS. 1 and 4 a cam 57 is mounted on shaft 36, which cam co-operates with a follower roll 58 of an angle lever 59, which pivots about point 60. The other end of the angle lever 59 engages a follower roll 6] of a pushing member 62, which can lift follower roll 63 of an arm 64. Said arm 64 has been mounted on shaft 9 which supports control cylinder 8. When swinging arm 64 moves upwardly from the position shown in dotted lines to the position shown in drawn lines the control cylinder is rotated back. When after this pushing member 62 again moves downwardly latch 4 retains the roll in the position in which it can cause a holder to discharge at the first discharge location (by means of discharge abutment l2,). The movement of arm 64 has also brought weight 14 upward again.

It will be clear that the rotary movement of one revolution of shaft 36 can be used for many other control purposes in a sorting machine. At the moment at which a complete row of discharge abutments has worked it is namely mostly desired, to shift on further devices, such as devices for receiving the discharged objects, and even the possibility exists that packages have to be closed stepwise and that therewith the driving and the control forces are derived from shaft 36.

The clutch described is an one revolution clutch. It will be clear, however, that by using more retaining abutments 31 and recesses 54 the clutch can be used for angular strokes forming a part of a revolution only. The shown one revolution clutch has the additional advantage that the weight distribution of pawl 46 can be used for having the coupling and decoupling of the clutch take place more smoothly.

What I claim is:

l. A discharge device comprising, a number of discharge locations placed in a row, a guide means for guiding movable holders along said row in a predetermined direction, a control cylinder axially oriented in the direction of said row and provided with a discharge abutment for each discharge location, said discharge abutments being angularly and axially spaced apart on the cylinder, a power means for urging said cylinder to .rotate about its axis in one rotational direction, said cylinder further having a stepping surface at each discharge location, said stopping surfaces being angularly and axially spaced apart on the cylinder, each stopping surface having a latch associated therewith, each latch being movably mounted to move from a first position, in which it does not engage the related stopping surface into a second position in which it engages the said stopping surface and prevents rotation of the cylinder in the said one direction, means for biassing said latches to move from the said first into the said second position, said latches being adapted to cooperate with a passing holder to be moved from the said second position into the said first position.

2. A device according to claim I, in which movement of a latch from the said second position into the said first position enables the cylinder to rotate towards an angular position at which it is stopped by another latch, the discharge abutment of the discharge location that follows next in the said predetermined direction being in a predetermined angular position when said cylinder is in its last mentioned angular position.

3. A device according to claim I in which the said power means includes a weight.

4. A device according to claim 1, in which the cylinder is rotatable from a starting position to an end position, and is provided with a return means for rotating the cylinder in the direction opposite to the said one rotational direction from the said end position into the said starting position, a locking means for locking the return means, which locking means is movable from a first passive position into a second activated-position, and an activating member connected to said cylinder and rotatable with said cylinder, the said activating member being provided with a control means connected to said locking means, said control means being adapted to bring the locking means into the said activated position when the cylinder is moved into the said end position.

5. A device according to claim 4, in which the locking means has an unlocking control member that in the said passive position of the locking means lies outside the path of holders moved along said guide means and in the said end position lies in the path of said holders.

6. A device according to claim 4, in which the return means is provided with a clutch, said clutch having a stopping member cooperating with the locking means, the said stopping member being rotatably mounted such that after disengagement from the locking member it can rotate over one revolution before again cngaging the stopping member.

7. A device according to claim 6 in which the clutch has an output shaft which bears a cam that is coupled with the cylinder. 

1. A discharge device comprising, a number of discharge locations placed in a row, a guide means for guiding movable holders along said row in a predetermined direction, a control cylinder axially oriented in the direction of said row and provided with a discharge abutment for each discharge location, said discharge abutments being angularly and axially spaced apart on the cylinder, a power means for urging said cylinder to rotate about its axis in one rotational direction, said cylinder further having a stopping surface at each discharge location, said stopping surfaces being angularly and axially spaced apart on the cylinder, each stopping surface having a latch associated therewith, each latch being movably mounted to move from a first position, in which it does not engage the related stopping surface into a second position in which it engages the said stopping surface and prevents rotation of the cylinder in the said one direction, means for biassing said latches to move from the said first into the said second position, said latches being adapted to cooperate with a passing holder to be moved from the said second position into the said first position.
 2. A device according to claim 1, in which movement of a latch from the said second position into the said first position enables the cylinder to rotate towards an angular position at which it is stopped by another latch, the discharge abutment of the discharge location that follows next in the said predetermined direction being in a predetermined angular position when said cylinder is in its last mentioned angular position.
 3. A device according to claim 1 in which the said power means includes a weight.
 4. A device according to claim 1, in which the cylinder is rotatable from a starting position to an end position, and is provided with a return means for rotating the cylinder in the direction opposite to the said one rotational direction from the said end position into the said starting position, a locking means for locking the return means, which locking means is movable from a first passive position into a second activated position, and an activating member connected to said cylinder and rotatable with said cylinder, the said activating member being provided with a control means connected to said locking means, said control means being adapted to bring the locking means into the said activated position when the cylinder is moved into the said end position.
 5. A device according to claim 4, in which the locking means has an unlocking control member that in the said passive position of the locking means lies outside the path of holders moved along said guide means and in the said end position lies in the path of said holders.
 6. A device according to claim 4, in which the return means is provided with a clutch, said clutch having a stopping member cooperating with the locking means, the said stopping member being rotatably mounted such that after disengagement from the locking member it can rotate over one revolution before again engaging the stopping member.
 7. A device according to claim 6 in which the clutch has an output shaft which bears a cam that is coupled with the cylinder. 